Owning a classic car is always going to be a memorable experience. However, you have to hope that it is going to be an unforgettable experience for all of the right reasons. It would appear that this hasn’t been the case with this 1969 Camaro Z/28. The irresistible force has met the immovable object, and this is a classic pony car that will require some significant work if it is ever to grace our roads once again. It is located in East Aurora, New York, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The auction has been set to open at $12,500, but there have been no bids up to this point. However, there are currently 206 people who are keeping a close eye on proceedings.
The first thing that I will say is that I hope that the driver of this Garnet Red Camaro walked away from the accident unscathed. This has been quite an impact, with the forces heavily focused on a small area. Before the accident, it would appear that this was a vehicle with very few significant issues. Visible rust seems to be minimal, with no signs of any major problems. Focusing on the accident damage, it extends across the full width of the Camaro. The owner says that the pillar, rocker, floor, and the cowl will all require replacement. Judging by the panel alignment on the passenger side of the Z/28, I suspect that the shell will need to go onto a rack if it is to be saved. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the body is both bent and twisted. This is a worry because it means that the forces required to return it to proper alignment are going to need to be significant. That could potentially weaken the body and compromise its structural integrity. I would be consulting a professional to ensure that restoring the body is a viable option. There is the potential there that the Camaro might require a whole new shell. The owner does have a donor car that can be used for replacement parts, so this would be worth investigating. Reassuringly, the owner encourages potential buyers to inspect the Z/28, which would tend to indicate that he wants buyers to be fully aware of the car’s condition.
Before impact, it would appear as though the Camaro’s Black interior was very presentable. The majority of the trim remains in good order and would respond well to some concerted effort with some cleaning products. It would be stating the obvious to say that the dash and driver’s door trim are both trashed, while the console is also broken. However, the factory gauges in the console appear to be undamaged and could see service once again. The reality is that there are plenty of components that will be able to be reused, so reviving the interior should be quite straightforward.
The Z/28 is not a numbers-matching classic, but the potential is there to return it close to that state. The V8 that is occupying the engine bay was recently rebuilt, and it doesn’t appear that it has suffered any damage in the accident. The intake, carburetor, and one cylinder head are original to the Camaro. The original cylinder block is also included in the sale, but it is said to need repairs. The photos show that there is no transmission currently fitted to the Z/28, and it isn’t clear whether one is included in the sale. When you inspect the photos of the vehicle’s underside, you can see that the impact damage extends to its center-line. That means that the transmission may have suffered some physical damage to the case in the accident. That would be a question worth asking.
We all have days when we wish that we’d stayed in bed, and I can be pretty sure that the owner of this ’69 Camaro Z/28 can relate to that feeling. Returning the vehicle to a roadworthy state is going to represent a major undertaking, and it will require someone with the appropriate skills to ensure that the work is completed correctly. There will be some significant structural refurbishment needed here. The worst time to find that it hasn’t been completed properly is if a subsequent owner has the misfortune to be involved in another accident. What do you think? Would you repair this bodyshell, or would a replacement one be a more viable option?
Sadly, this looks like it was a nice car before the accident. In their ad, Camaro Specialties says they part out the ones they can’t fix. I understand them selling off this one but $12.5k to start the auction is nuts especially as it’s NOM and maybe not fixable at any reasonable price.
Yeah they are CRAZY there’s no WAY that there’s that many part son there! You could get a running Driving one with No accident damage for like 18.5K$ it’s probably Realistically worth 3500-5500$ Cause it’s Definitely a Salvage. That’s the WORST possible place you can hit one of these cars.
Running and driving 1969 Z/28 for $18.5?? Find me two and I’ll buy both of them.
“Oak tree you’re in my way”,,”Dog tracking”,this car will never track right again. It is a semi-unibody, and when they are kinked in the middle, it’s hard to get them to run true. I remember seeing lots of Novas and Camaros dog tracking. Too bad, I bet it was a heck of a ride before the oak tree.
“We were flying low, and hit something in the air.”
Never let Jack drive.
The tree jumped out and hit me.
Bloodrock
Or Jim
pdr???
Once you get the fender, door, rocker, floor, cowl, and pillar post out of the way it won’t be that bad ;) That is what we used to call a hard hit . . .
maybe barely worth it to someone looking for a low option wrecked non original motor 69? i would hold out for a 68 or 70.5 but many would love this 69 in spite of the fact that these were most prolific and its missing some important stuff. neat car regardless!
Parts car, take it apart and use the pieces to fix another one,
It looks similar to one of my 69 Firebirds that I got hit in by a drunk passed out in a Cordoba. Same point of impact but then continued down the side. Broke the leaf spring and pulled the driveshaft out of tranny as the rear end was twisted sideways, Buckled the roof ,floors and the passenger quarter.
Strong F**^#* Car!!
I walked away from that, When my seat crushed I got tossed into the passenger seat. If I had been wearing a seatbelt I’d be dead. 100% luck
Ouch on the crash and ouch on the price!! It certainly will not be my money buying this one!! Looks like it’s been used as a parts car cause there’s quite a bit missing!! Now there trying to cash in on what’s left!!
It could be fixed, it’s a hard pull, but the trick is pull until it’s straight, then weld in parts from a donor. If it’s a original z28, it could be worth it. In the day you would take one hit in the front, one hit in the back, cut them in half, wave a magic wand, and you had a straight car.
Except that’s been illegal for decades!
You can’t miss the collision damage, but I wouldn’t call this a nice car before… the rear wheel lips in the rear and lower quarters are gone from rust. It also has a crankcase evacuation system, normally used on competition cars in place of the factory PCV. Add in the damaged original block, one correct cylinder head installed tells you this thing was driven hard. Parts car or a VERY ambitious project to say the least.
After seeing many YouTube vids of drivers trying to impress leaving a car show parking lot, I think it was one of those “let’s stomp on the gas while turning onto the highway” deals followed by multiple fishtails and a slide into a tree.
Looks like it would have to be taken almost entirely apart at the spot welds and jigged, with everything pretty much forward of the rear seat replaced plus whatever is rusty in the remaining rear. Not impossible, AMD could provide the parts and the installation expertise. Is it worth it? Depends who’s paying I guess! That is a hard hit. Sure is bent. Too bad.
Put this 1 back in the Barn there’s NO WAY it’s worth the starting price of $12,500 it’s totalled!
Unibody bent, sub frame mangled, roof n cowl wrinkled, door piler beyond repair, good luck with that!
Someone will buy it and slap the VIN plate on a new Dynacorn body.
Bidding opens at $12,500? Do people really want a ’69 Camaro that badly?
Given where this car is hit, it’s not worth fixing. Part this one out and throw the rest away. It’ll never be right.
Barn Finds should quit cluttering up the site with junk parts cars and start another site for the trash. Any suggestions ?
Based on the photos, it looks like it was a crappy car before the accident. Totally worthless now.
It will NEVER be the same. Major damage that is not visible. Twisted body/floor damage just to start. JMHO but way to bad to fix. Parts car for sure but not at that price. Get a reproduced body and go from there. They are out there don’t remember the company name. Maybe Dynacorn?
Cant not agree with whats been said. No value here. Hit so hard the console shattered.
Is it me or is the drivers door a different color than the rest of the car?
Regardless this would be tough to sell at a quarter of the price and then only to someone that needed acouple grand in random bits and bobbles.
Junk yard car not worth fixing at any amount of money